Brokered Convention

                There is talk that establishment Republicans are hoping for a brokered – or contested - convention in July in order to move Donald Trump out of the campaign.   Some say this is the reason Mitt Romney made his speech on Friday, March 4, 2016, calling for Republicans to vote for anyone other than Trump.  

                A brokered convention happens when “no single candidate has secured a majority of delegates (whether those selected by primary elections and caucuses, or super delegates) prior to the first vote for a political party’s presidential candidate at its nominating convention.

                “Once the first ballot, or vote, has occurred, and no candidate has a majority of the delegates’ votes, the convention is then considered brokered; thereafter, the nomination is decided through a process of alternating political horse trading, and additional re-votes.  In this circumstance, all regular delegates (who may have been pledged to a particular candidate according to rules which vary from state to state) are `released’ and are able to switch their allegiance to a different candidate before the next round of balloting.  It is hoped that this extra privilege extended to the delegates will result in a re-vote yielding a clear majority of delegates for one candidate….”

                A brokered convention may or not be a good idea.  I do not know.  All I know is that there has not been one in recent years.  This site states that neither political party has held a brokered convention since 1952 (Democrats with Republicans holding their last one in 1948). 

                Ted Cruz believes a brokered convention would have the result of “hell to pay with the grass roots.”  “Any time you hear someone talking about a brokered convention, it is the Washington establishment in a fevered frenzy; they are really frustrated because all their chosen candidates, their golden children, the voters keep rejecting….

                “So they seize on this plan of a brokered convention, and the D.C. power brokers will drop someone in who is exactly to the liking of the Washington establishment.  If that would happen, we would have a manifest revolt on our hands all across this country.”

                So, how do we avoid a brokered convention?  According to Cruz, it should be done “with the voters.”  There is a definite way to beat Donald Trump with the voters, and that way is to vote for Ted Cruz.  He is the only candidate who has a chance to keep Donald Trump from becoming the Republican candidate for President of the United States.